Claude Lanzmann. The Recordings

The exhibition Claude Lanzmann. The Recordings brings history to life. For the first time, the audio archive of Claude Lanzmann, the French filmmaker and chronicler of the Shoah, is being made available to the public. Previously unknown audio cassettes document numerous conversations that he and his assistants conducted in the 1970s with Holocaust survivors, perpetrators and contemporary witnesses. These recordings were made during research for the film Shoah (1985). The Lanzmann collection was donated to the JMB and added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2023.  

The tour provides insights into Lanzmann's research project and introduces the special features of listening to historical audio sources. Participants will have the opportunity to listen to audio interviews. Before and after listening, there will be time to discuss observations, thoughts and feelings. The exchange about how we as listeners in the present perceive these recordings is part of the tour. Please note that the audio recordings contain reports of serious violent crimes.